Alfalfa
takes a leading place among perennial fodder grasses due to a lot of mowings,
high yield and high nutritional value of fodder mass. One of the effective
actions for increasing productivity of Alfalfa is introduction in technology
of culture growing a multifunctional biostimulants.

Albit (liquid paste) is one of the modern native multipurpose biostimulants
with a wide range of actions. Adaptive action of Albit for perennial grasses
is important viz increase ability of plants to endure different stresses (wintering,
drought, mowing).

Estimate of effectiveness of biostimulant on Alfalfa (first year) was conducted
in field trial VNIISSOK (Odintsovskii region, Moscow oblast). Alfalfa var. Severnayahybridnaya was
grown on plots 0.5 ha (fourfold replication). Forecrop – table beet. At the
budding stage plants were treated with different concentrations of Albit: 20,
40 and 80 mL of biostimulant/ha. Mowing was in September 20 when herbage of
beans was fulvous by 90-95 %. Yield of green mass and seeds was determined.

Yield of green mass in control in average was 7.6 t/ha. Albit treatment (20
mL/ha) gives reliable yield increase by 10.5 %. When using of higher dose of
Albit (40 mL/ha), yield increase of green mass was the highest (19.7 %). With
a further increasing of biostimulant dose (80 mL/ha), yield increase to control
was 15.1 %.

From the point of view of biomass increasing, variant with treatment 40 mL
Albit/ha is optimal. In this variant statistically reliable seed yield increase
was also observed (17.3 % to control).

It is known, that with the aging of herbage, yield of crop was significantly
decreased already on third year of applying compared to the first year, plant
density decreases by 40 % and more. Studying of Albit treatment on middle-aged
sowings of Alfalfa (forth year growing) was conducted in conditions of forest
steppe zone of Central Black Earth region (Voronezh oblast, var. Pavlovskayapestraya).
Plants were treated with Albit (foliar spraying) in spring in the beginning
of vegetation (April 17), further – in 7-10 days after each mowing at the next
resumption of plant growth. It was estimated the effect of biostimulant at
3 consumption rates - 40, 70 and 100 mL/ha.

Account of plant tillering in spring regrowth of shoots (in 40 days after
foliar spraying) was revealed that amount of stems per 1 plant (Albit treatment)
was higher by 13.5-17.7 % vs. untreated plot (control). At the same time, the
best results were revealed in varants with Albit treatment (consumption rate
40 and 70 mL/ha, 29.5-30.6 shoots per plant). By mowing, amount of productive
shoots was increased by 15.6-29.1 %.

Assessment of biometrics parameters and identification of vegetative mass
of Alfalfa were conducted before each grass mowing. In all parameters biostimulant
Albit had statistically significant higher results. At foliar spraying of growing
shoots with Albit, total plant productivity significant increased due to increase
the amount of growing shoots, forming more side and reproductive shoots vs.
control (branches and brushes).

Albit treatment at period of shoots regrowth after first and second mowings
of Alfalfa contributed to increase the amount of reproductive stems by 30-70
% (up to 78.5 %), and in general, total amount of stems was increased up to
50 %.

Severe weather conditions (2007) negatively affected on development and productivity
of crops and Alfalfa: very early warm spring gave way to cold snap (by 1.6-2.6°Ñ
below average temperatures in II-III decades in April and in I decade in May)
with a lack of moisture during all growing season. It did not allow to obtain
a high crop of green mass. However, applying of biostimulant Albit created
a good conditions for quick development of perennial grasses, and first spring
mowing was conducted at early terms, contributing further development of Alfalfa
and obtaining following complete mowings. In total, amount of side branches
on productive stems was significantly higher vs. control. For example, at consumption
rate of Albit 70 mL/ha, this parameter was 2205-2614 pcs/m? (by 1.7-2.2 times
higher than in untreated plot). Field trials were conducted on Alfalfa (4th
year of cultivation, mowing for animal feeding), so the final assessment of
culture productivity was not carried out. However, biostimulant Albit allowed
to significantly increase the amount of inflorescences per one productive stem:
from 1.1 and 2.0 (in control) to 1.7 è 2.8 pcs/plant in experimental variants
in second and third mowings accordingly. This parameter per 1 m? was 975 and
1438 inflorescences in Albit treatment, 70 mL/ha (by 2.2-2.9 times higher than
in control and by 8-54 % – compared to other doses of Albit (40 è 100 mL/ha).

Foliar spraying of Alfalfa with Albit contributes of yield increasing of
green mass. As a result of Albit treatment in spring at the beginning of the
regrowth of vegetation of crop, yield of biomass was 12.72-14.25 t/ha (yield
increase – 13.3-26.9 % to control). Optimal consumption rate of biostimulant
- 40 mL/ha. Yield increase of second and third mowings was more significant
- 57.4-92.0 % at a higher consumption rate of Albit (70 mL/ha).

Assessment of fungistasis of biostimulant relatively to leaf diseases revealed
that at low and middle levels of development of brown spots and ascochyta-leaf
spot, effect of Albit was in the range 16-36 %, in some cases 62-73 %.

Consequently, Albit treatment contributes to increasing of Alfalfa productivity
as a result of positive effect of biostimulant on all studied parameters of
crop vegetative growth: increasing of tillering, plant height, shoot formation,
accelerating of budding stage, increase the number of inflorescences and total
plant biomass, increasing a resistance to several diseases. Applying of multifunctional
biostimulant Albit on Alfalfa is highly profitable. Total income (three mowings)
at consumption rate 40, 70 and 100 mL/ha was 6900, 10678 and 8014 rubles/ha
accordingly, payback – 4.9–6.1 times (Table 2).

As a results of field trials, the optimal technique of Albit treatment for
Alfalfa is the following: foliar spraying in spring at the beginning of vegetative
growth at consumption rate 40 mL/ha and in 7-10 days after each mowing at consumption
rate 70 mL/ha.